Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski will not play on Sunday in San Francisco.
Gronk isn’t traveling with the team as he continues to recover from a chest injury that he suffered on Sunday when he was hit by Seahawks safety Earl Thomas. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports that the injury is a perforated lung.
That sounds like a bad injury, but there’s optimism that Gronkowski could be back next week when the Patriots face the Jets.
Although the Patriots will still be heavily favored to beat the 49ers, Gronkowski’s absence significantly affects their offense: Despite barely playing in the first four games of the season, Gronkowski leads the Patriots with 540 receiving yards, and his average of 21.6 yards per catch is the best in the NFL not just for any tight end but for any receiver.
Patriots tight end Martellus Bennett may get more balls thrown his way in San Francisco. Receiver Chris Hogan is also out, so Tom Brady will have fewer options than usual against the 49ers.